Beverage dispensers come in a wide variety of configurations ranging from large apparatus which might be used in fast food restaurants, for example, to smaller appliances used in a home or office. Regardless of the size of the dispenser, various considerations must be addressed in designing a particular dispenser. The present invention is directed to a water dispenser which involves its own set of considerations.
For instance, as is known, tap water can range from being luke warm to mildly cool in temperature. A water dispenser must be capable of delivering quite cold water for various beverages, if not simply for drinking the cold water, per se. The dispenser should be capable of dispensing hot water for such beverages as coffee or tea. It is highly desirable that the dispenser be capable of filtering the incoming tap water. Another feature of up-scale water dispensers is to provide carbonated water for various beverage purposes.
The present invention primarily is directed to a relatively small water dispenser for use in such applications as a home, an office or the like, whereat the dispenser most likely will be located on top of a countertop in a kitchen or in a break-room in an office or similar environment. Such appliances create their own set of considerations. As but one example, dispenser applications commonly use a reservoir tank to accumulate filtered water. Unfortunately, these apparatus require constant maintenance for the prevention of bacteria and algae growth. Once the water is filtered, there is no residual chlorine to control bacterial growth. Consequently, these reservoir systems often use UV or Ozone, but this adds considerably to the cost, complexity and service requirements of the apparatus. In contrast, the present invention utilizes an ice bank through which filtered water can be continuously cooled and eliminates any reservoir. The ice bank is of a unique configuration.
Space requirements also are of a major consideration in designing a home or office type water dispenser. The space which such an appliance requires on a countertop is critical. The overall layout of the water dispenser of the present invention greatly minimizes the space required for the appliance.
The above and other considerations will be understood with the following specification.